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Pyomyositis tropicans is a rare disease in non-tropical climates and thus presents diagnostic difficulties. Two children with single staphylococcal psoas muscle abscesses were recently successfully treated. Computerized axial tomography was found to be a useful diagnostic aid, allowing exact localization of the lesion. The diagnosis and therapy of these abscesses are discussed.
A review of the literature on subclinical intestinal disease shows its probable relevance in certain nutritional deficiencies in the indigenous residents of tropical climates. A significant incidence of intestinal disease has been defined among asymptomatic fit-looking adult Nigerians. The results of subsequent investigation into the pathogenesis of this disorder strongly point to hypoalbuminaemia as the important factor capable of producing a biochemically and histologically defined malabsorptive state leading to subnormal nutritional status among members of this community.
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One of the features common among olfactory systems for vertebrate and invertebrate species is the division of the primary processing area into distinct clumps of synaptic neuropil, called glomeruli. The olfactory glomeruli appear to serve as functional units of olfaction and are the location of the primary processing between chemosensory afferents and second-order neurons. Although glomeruli are found across all phyla, their numbers and size appear to be characteristic for each species, giving rise to the speculation that there is a relationship between glomerular number and function. It has been hypothesized, for example, that animals with more glomeruli may be able to resolve a wider range of odors. Crustacean species are distributed among freshwater, marine, and terrestrial habitats in arctic, temperate, and tropical climates. They also exhibit a variety of lifestyles and behaviors in which olfaction may play a dominant role. Feeding, for example, ranges from carnivorous, through subaquatic and terrestrial omnivorous scavenging, to filter feeding. Mating and territorial behaviors also are known to involve chemical signals. The current study examines glomerular numbers in the olfactory lobes of 17 crustacean species from six of the seven taxa now included in the reptantian decapods. Estimates of the glomerular numbers were obtained from the analysis of sectioned material treated immunocytochemically with an antibody against synapsin that labels proteins contained in neuronal terminals. The numbers of glomeruli found in the different species were then compared with the volume of the glomerular neuropil, numbers of olfactory sensilla, life styles, habitat, and phylogenetic affinities. The picture that emerges from these correlations is that the decapod crustaceans have exploited various strategies in the construction of their olfactory systems in which the problems of size, sensitivity, and selectivity have all interacted. We find a continuum across the groups ranging from those that favor a high convergence of receptor neurons onto a few glomeruli to those that share a small number of receptor neurons among many glomeruli. The potential functional consequences of these differences are discussed.
In the animal psychobiology literature, the terms congenital, predetermined, heritable, and chronotypy each have meanings that can help differentiate implicit, sometimes hidden, elements of the broad and onerous term, "innate." Relevant phenomena in animals' nonverbal recognition and communication systems are discussed. Several ontogenetic analyses reveal that thermotactile stimulation and other forms of heat are potent determinants of learning and attachment in a variety of endothermic species. We describe preliminary data from language evolution and word usage that mirror physiological and affective aspects of thermal stimuli in development. Specifically, we examine the thermal and affective meaning of "warm" and "cool" in languages used in temperate and in tropical climates, as well as the histories of such words in languages that derived from remote linguistic origins, namely Indo-European and Proto-Uralic roots. In each of these languages, there have evolved conjoint thermal and affective meanings that suggest a reflection of fundamental homeothermic biology in the psychology of human language.
BACKGROUND: During the 20th century, silver nitrate (SN) eye drops instillation to newborns had been the best prophylaxis against ophthalmia neonatorum (ON) caused by Neisseria gonorrheae, the most frequent cause of ocular infections leading to blindness. At present, this treatment has been questioned because there is a growing prevalence of other pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis, and SN is associated with chemical conjunctivitis (ChC). In addition, SN could present some conservation problems in tropical climates. Among other alternative drugs, 2.5% povidone-iodine has a proven efficacy, not only against Neisseria, but also against Chlamydia, has no conservation problems, has not been associated with ChC and is cheap. METHODS: The recently created Setor de Farmacovigilãncia (SF) of the São Paulo State in Brazil has created a pharmacovigilance network of 11 big public hospitals. During a periodical signal searching process, the SF found a cluster of 33 ChC reports from one of the network hospitals. RESULTS: The problem was discussed with the remaining participant hospitals and this signal was used as a way to strengthen the network. Thirteen months later, 622 ChC reports were received from six hospitals. DISCUSSION: Thus, this well-known side-effect in the literature was highlighted as a 'real' problem in Brazil, and some participant hospitals began a discussion period together with the delivery and newborn care professionals in order to switch SN by povidone-iodine. This is an example of both, how a simple pharmacovigilance exercise could improve the implication of health professionals with their own therapeutic problems and how a pharmacovigilance network could be strengthened.
Pyomyositis, an unusual infection of large skeletal muscles, developed in a woman with a history of bulky stage IIIB cervical cancer. Three years prior, the woman had undergone aggressive neoadjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy followed by pelvic irradiation. The overwhelming majority of pyomyositis cases is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus, an organism that rarely causes this infection, was isolated in this case. Although surgical drainage is the most common approach, successful percutaneous drainage was accomplished. Pyomyositis has only recently been reported in non-tropical climates. The presentation, diagnosis, risk factors, and management of pyomyositis are discussed.
Winged bean albumin-1 (WBA) is the main seed albumin of Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, a legume that has excellent potential as a protein-rich food source for humid tropical climates. WBA crystallises in a tetragonal space group and the structure was solved by X-ray crystallography with a combination of multiple isomorphous replacement using four heavy atom derivatives and molecular replacement with a model based on the structure of Erythrina caffra trypsin inhibitor (ETI). Refinement of the structure proceeded to 1.8 A. WBA has a beta-trefoil fold, similar to that found in the STI-Kunitz type trypsin inhibitors. The final structure has an overall R-factor of 19% for 15 to 1.8 A resolution data, all residues in the allowed regions of the Ramachandran plot, and good agreement with ideal geometry. WBA has sequence similarity with the STI-Kunitz trypsin inhibitors, including the apparent conservation of the functional reactive site residue, lysine 64, at the position of the scissile bond (position P1) in the STI-Kunitz type trypsin inhibitors, however, WBA does not inhibit trypsin. The reason for the lack of inhibitory activity against trypsin is clearly evident from the structure. The loop corresponding to the inhibitory loop in the STI-Kunitz trypsin inhibitors does not conform to the canonical conformation of the inhibitory loops of the "small inhibitors". The lysine residue assigned to the P1 position from sequence alignments is instead part of a four amino acid insertion between residues structurally equivalent to residues P1 and P2 of the inhibitors.
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Amebic and pyogenic hepatic abscesses are rare liver lesions that may require surgical intervention. Amebic liver abscesses are more common in subtropical and tropical climates and in areas with poor sanitation. The majority of pyogenic liver abscesses are caused by infections in the biliary or intestinal tracts. These lesions can be differentiated on clinical grounds and by amebic serology. Ultrasound and computed tomography are the imaging techniques of choice. The initial management of amebic hepatic abscesses is treatment with amebicidal agents. Most patients respond rapidly so that surgery is reserved for patients with complications including secondary bacterial infection, impending rupture, or rupture into the pericardium or peritoneum. Patients with pyogenic hepatic abscesses require a prolonged course of antibiotics and appropriate drainage. Selected solitary abscesses can be managed with percutaneous abscess drainage. Similarly, some abscesses of biliary origin will respond to percutaneous biliary drainage. Surgical drainage has several advantages including: the ability to explore the abdomen for a source, excellent exposure of the entire liver, accurate assessment, sometimes with ultrasound, of the best drainage site, and access to the biliary tree for cholangiography and drainage.
Fungal corneal ulcer is common in India due to the tropical climate and a large agrarian population that is at risk. Various factors such as trauma, the injudicious use of topical antibiotics and corticosteroids are involved. Many of the age and sex-related risk factors also play a minor role. This 6-year study from Northern India revealed that fungi were detected in 61 (8.4%) out of 730 patients investigated. Direct microscopy was positive in 51 (7%) and culture in 53 (7.3%) patients. Aspergillus spp. were the most common causative agents accounting for 25 (40.1%) of the isolates, followed by Fusarium sp. with ten (16.4%), Curvularia sp. with five (8.2%), Candida albicans with five (8.2%), Acremonium sp. with four (6.6%), Paecilomyces sp. with three (4.9%), Penicillium sp. with two (3.3%), Alternaria sp. with two (3.3%), Fonsecaea pedrosoi var. cladosporium with two isolates (3.3%) and Pseudallescheria boydii, Drechslera sp. and Aureobasidium pullulans with one isolate (1.6%) each. The prevalence of fungal ulcers in males was three times higher than in females. The affected individuals had a rural background and were in the 51-60 year age group.
More than 10,000 tourists returning from tropical countries have been asked about health problems during their stay abroad. Preliminary results from the first 5,550 questionnaires indicate that 74,8% had complaints of any kind concerning their health and 13,6% can be considered as having been ill. The frequency of complaints and illness in relation to different variables is shown and the possibility of definition of high risk groups is being discussed.
Five men (average age 35 years) suffering from the sequelae of hair implants were examined in the course of claims for legal compensation. Polyether amide hair fibres had been implanted, 1000 per patient and session. In all cases the improved implantation technique with a fine needle and subcutaneous knotting had been used in a total of three institutions. Three patients developed bacterial folliculitis after 4-8 weeks; in the other two patients this developed later, after 3-6 months. In two patients the possible triggering event was the wearing of a motorcycle helmet and a vacation in a tropical climate respectively. In another patient the artificial hair curled considerably after he visited a sauna. The implanted hair had fallen out almost completely in all cases (100% in two patients after 9-12 months, 50-75% in three patients after 7 months to 2 years). All patients showed cosmetically disturbing small scars and pigmentary changes. Despite an apparently improved complication rate, the new technique of hair fibre implantation remains a doubtful procedure and cannot be recommended in view of possible permanent sequelae.
INTRODUCTION: This study examined seasonal variations in hip fracture rates using nation-wide, population-based data from Taiwan, a subtropical island with fairly uniform weather conditions (mean ambient temperature difference of 11.3 degrees C between peak summer and peak winter months). METHODS: All inpatients aged 45+ years included in the National Health Insurance Database between 1997 and 2003 and bearing an ICD diagnosis code 820 (fracture neck of femur) were included (n=102,792 cases). RESULTS: Auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling showed significant seasonality and an association of monthly hip fracture admission rates with ambient temperature among both sexes and all three age groups, 45-64, 65-74, and 75+ years. Crude rates show a significant trough during May-August (late spring and summer), followed by a sharp increase in September, and a discernible peak during November-February (late autumn and winter). Adjusted for seasonality, trend, and month, hip fracture rates are significantly reduced among males (b=-0.280, p<0.001) and females (b=-0.341, p<0.001) with increases in the mean ambient temperature. The protective effect of temperature intensifies with age (b=-0.010, -0.241 and -2.263 among the groups aged 45-64, 65-74, and 75+ years, respectively). January (mid-winter) is independently associated with 0.339, 0.663 and 8.153 more hip fractures, respectively, among the three age groups, beyond the temperature effect noted above, and May (late spring) is associated with 0.168, 1.364, and 7.255 fewer fractures. Hours of sunshine and atmospheric pressure were not significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our ARIMA regression coefficients for temperature, January, and May, we estimate that 32.1% of total hip fractures in January (the peak incidence month) are attributable to the season effect among seniors aged 75+ years, 17.2% among those aged 65-74 years, and 11.5% among those aged 45-64 years. We find that in a sub-tropical climate the effects of winter on hip fracture propensity is significant and increases with age. The policy implications are discussed.
A positive association has been reported between elevated tissue organochlorines (p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE, PCBs, dioxins) and breast cancer in some case-control studies and occupational cohort studies. We previously reported high serum levels of p,p'-DDT and its metabolite p,p'-DDE in women living throughout Vietnam. We report here the results of a small hospital-based case-control study examining the association between blood levels of p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE and the risk of invasive breast cancer among residents of the north of Vietnam-an area where insecticides such as p,p'-DDT have been heavily used in the recent past. The study was conducted among patients admitted to a single hospital in the capital city of Hanoi in 1994. Study subjects were 21 women newly diagnosed with invasive adenocarcinoma of the breast, who served as cases, and 21 women of similar age with fibrocystic breast disease, who served as controls. No increase was evident in the relative risk of breast cancer with increasing tertiles of serum concentration of the compounds of interest, even after adjustment for major potential confounders, such as age at menarche, parity, history of lactation, and body weight. These results suggest that recent and past exposure to p,p'-DDT does not play an important role in the etiology of breast cancer among women living in a country with a tropical climate where insecticide use for mosquito control is common.
Cryoglobulinemia is uncommon in Southern Chinese in Hong Kong, with tropical climates and low incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Eight positive cases were detected among 481 patients screened for cryoglobulins over a 10-year period. Three HCV carriers (38%) ran benign courses. The others included two carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV), two patients with adenocarcinoma, and one with chronic lymphocytic lymphoma. Four of them (except one HBV carrier) ran fulminant courses and died of cryoglobulin-related complications. Interestingly, all four cases also had structural aortic abnormalities, including multiple dissections, aneurysms, and congenital aortic arch abnormalities, which were often life threatening. The association of aortic abnormality and cryoglobulinemia is hitherto unreported and may be peculiar to our ethnic group. Aggressive control of the cryoglobulin may help to reduce aortic intima damage.
Lichens have been used as bioindicators in various atmospheric pollution assessments in several countries. This study presents the first data on levels of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in lichens at different locations in Singapore, Southeast Asia. Singapore is a fully industrialised island nation, with a prevailing tropical climate and a population of 4 million people within a confined land area of less than 700 km2. The ubiquitous lichen species, Dirinaria picta was collected from six sample sites across Singapore and analysed for heavy metals using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). No significant relationship existed between metal levels in lichen and soil, indicating that accumulated metals in lichen are primarily derived from the atmosphere. Peak concentrations of zinc (83.55 microg g(-1)), copper (45.13 microg g(-1)) and lead (16.59 microg g(-1)) in lichens were found at Sembawang, Jurong and the National University of Singapore campus which are locations associated with heavy petroleum and shipping industries, and road traffic respectively. The mean heavy metal levels of lichen samples in Singapore were found to be at the upper range of values reported in the literature for temperate countries.